Things to Do when you Open up a Door

[randywebb]

I find it to be a big hassle to pull the armrest, map pockets and door panel off, so I thought I'd start a thread of things to do when you have the panels off...

First, inspect the drainage holes and clean them out - use a probe and/or a shop vac to get at this. I then use a rag since there is inevitably lots of debris that is attached and won't come out with just a shop vac.

Use a mirror on a stick and check very very carefully for any rust. Kill the rust (with a rust 'reducer') then use primer with paint over that to take care of things.

Glue on any pads for sound absorption that you want to do. Right behind the speaker opening is the most important spot.

The doors are supposed to have small pieces of rubber at the bottom to catch the window. On my 1973.5, these looked like rubber wedges. I spoke to one of the early parts guys at Stoddard's about this recently...
He said the p/n was 901.542.063.00
and they are ONLY $28 each. I think you need 4 of them...
My next question was "Are they really important?" He said his 1960s 911 had just a piece of rubber buffer glued bottom dead center below where the window cranks down. It was about 3/16" thick x 2" x 1" -- be sure to place it or cut it so it doesn't cover the drain holes. Voila - you just saved over $100. I plan to do my pass. door before I put the speaker back in and will do the driver's door someday when I have to open it back up.

The moral of the story is if you find a wedge shaped piece of rubber flopping around loose in the bottom of the door, don't let it float around the garage until it gets lost. Store it away carefully so you won't lose it like I did...

[Jim727]

+1 on kill rust.

Clean and lube window regulator mechanism.
Clean and lube window door latch mechanism.

[t6dpilot]

Randy,
Good thread. I just took my door panel off and will heed your advice. I would like to ask you a question also. I am restoring my map pockets because one PO cut a bit hole to install a lovely speaker. The vinyl for the map pocket goes completely under the hinges and those are riveted on with a very special rivet. Do you have any idea where to locate these? I cannot do a proper restore if I don't locate them. Thanks.

[randywebb]

no, I don't know anything re the rivets - would a stud finder help locate them (are they hidden?) or if missing, you'll have to find a car w/them intact & measure


____________________________________

Here is a pic of the door from my 1973.5 T with some info added...

[imcarthur]

I was just going to ask for a pic of the naked door . . .

Thanks for the tips Randy. I'll be into mine for a speaker install in the spring.

Ian

[Crachian]

Make sure there is some kind of elastomer or leather glued between the door and the door lock linkage so you don't have to take it all back apart to fix the rattle.

[randywebb]

If your door rattles while you are driving, chances are it is because this bushing has become brittle and broken. It isolates the rod connecting your door lock post to the door jam lock mechanism. Those little locking tabs shown at the bottom of the elastomer dampers in the photo eventually break off and the bushing floats on the rod and you begin to hear that annoying rattle or buzz from inside the door.
Buy these to repair your rattle, or if you are installing new or updated interior door panels, you should change these isolators at the same time as a preventive measure. These dampers are an absolute requirement if you are adding new speakers to your doors.

911.531.565.00 - “Rubber bracket” or “Gummilager”

[Jim Richards]

Randy, what sound mat material did you use behind the speaker?

[randywebb]

you can also install or renew any baffles you have over the top of the speakers -- these keep water away from the destroying the speaker diaphragm

there is a thread on this bu I don't have it saved

[randywebb]

Adjust Play in Door Button

When you pull the trigger it pushes a pin on the door handle against the door catch mech. Sometimes this pin can become damaged or even brake away from the rest of the door handle. I have seen many handles held together with cable ties and alike. The pin pushes against the catch which moves until the catch clears its locking positions and the spring pulls it back, and hence the door is released. So, maybe the catch section is bent and thus requires a lot of movement to pull open and or the spring can become caught/blocked.

Easiest way to check: With the door open push the lock by hand so it shuts (2 clicks). Then pull the trigger to see when it opens. If it still takes a lot of movement on the trigger, the issues is one of the above.

The door latch operates a pin. The pin strikes against a small metal plate. The plate moves the mechanism for the lock. The problem occurs because the pin wears a little and the metal plate bends a little and over time the two spread apart so that the pin will not actuate the door latch.
To fix, take off the door handle and side panels and feel inside the door and move the latch until you feel the pin. One simple fix is to use a very small piece of aluminum about 1/2 inch square and a some double sided tape about the same dimensions. attach the aluminum to the tape. the tape and aluminum should be about 1/4/3/8 inch thick together. Clean the small metal plate with rubbing alcohol and after tje alcohol evaporates. press the double sided tape against the metal plate. the pin will not strike against the aluminum and work properly.

[Noel]

Here are a few restoration tasks I've done to mine over the years after removing the door trim:

-Replacement of the exterior door handle trim (Black Plastic)
-Replacement of the window felt (The window track is very easy to lift out of the car once the trim is off)




Noel

[MAS956]

Does the subject tool actually save panel clips or should I just go into this project assuming I'll have to replace them?

Thanks,

[randywebb]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
Randy, what sound mat material did you use behind the speaker?

I used a thin mat made by CAE (Cascade Audio Engineering). I consider it a compromise between best sound and light wt.


re the clips -- I'd always keep a few extra around. appbiz includes a set free with their panels, or add some to your next Pelican order.

Any large curved pry tool will work - I use one for carpentry - prob. the best tool would be a strong plastic, but if you have metal you can either be careful, or put duct tape on it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by randywebb
you can also install or renew any baffles you have over the top of the speakers -- these keep water away from the destroying the speaker diaphragm

there is a thread on this bu I don't have it saved

I'm getting ready to install new 6-1/2" Infiniti Excelon speakers in my doors and reading through some threads here and customer posts on Crutchfield tells me the baffles ruin the sound. They advise cutting away a portion of the baffle...which makes me wonder, "Why put it in there at all?" I am thinking to maybe use them but cut away the bottoms so the sound is not effected but leave the top so that when I wah the car the minor amount of water that drains down the glass won't F up the speaker. Thoughts on that approach?

[therotman]

Originally posted by Dan in Pasadena
I'm getting ready to install new 6-1/2" Infiniti Excelon speakers in my doors and reading through some threads here and customer posts on Crutchfield tells me the baffles ruin the sound. They advise cutting away a portion of the baffle...which makes me wonder, "Why put it in there at all?" I am thinking to maybe use them but cut away the bottoms so the sound is not effected but leave the top so that when I wah the car the minor amount of water that drains down the glass won't F up the speaker. Thoughts on that approach?

Some people just use duct tape on the top to keep the water off. No reason to buy a baffle if you are going to just cut it up.

I just left the speakers exposed when i did mine but will probably add tape if I ever have the panels back off.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Yeah, I suppose thats good advise, although the baffles are cheap (I understand) and available at any automotive stereo shop....probably Pep Boys or such too.

[DaddyGlenn]

Subscribed - my next project is to replace the antenna therefore door removal. So here comes another "while I'm in there" list.......

[therotman]

Originally posted by Dan in Pasadena
Yeah, I suppose thats good advise, although the baffles are cheap (I understand) and available at any automotive stereo shop....probably Pep Boys or such too.

There were empty baffles in my car when I bought it but the speakers would not fit in them due to the tweeter sticking out a little a pushing on the door mounted speaker grill so I took them out. Too bad i threw them away or i'd give them to you.

[mthomas58]

Hey Dan, I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile. Trust me, the customer's whose reviews you read on Crutchfield don't know what they're talking about.

Use the baffles and don't cut any of the baffle away. Cut a slit in the bottom to run the wire through. They will also take care of your water protection concerns. The baffles improve bass and trebble response without loss & distortion from the door cavity.


I used the Crutchfield baffles with my 6 1/2 JL Audio component speakers in the doors and Infinity 4 x 6's on thre rear shelf. They sound great! You're also hear some people say you don't need speakers in the rear. I strenuously disagree. Same goes for a sub IMO.

[imcarthur]

Not to belabor or veer off topic (much).

A dampening material comparison:



If you are serious about decent sound here is some advice (from a top Focal designer):

"What's going to make the biggest difference to the sound is the door build.

You'll need to remove the door trim and then cover the outside skin of the door with dynamat. The inner frame of the door which supports the trim will normally have lots of punched out holes in it - these can be sealed with a piece of dynamat on either side. You'll need to use some foam to squeeze behind the door mechanism cables to stop them rattling. Finally, make sure that you have a good, solid, air tight mounting between driver and door.

Basically what you are aiming for is to turn your door into a sealed, damped loudspeaker enclosure. If you can achieve this, you should have plenty of bass etc without need for a sub. Would be worth running decent cables from the amp to the speakers too." DB - Focal SA

In other words, the speaker buckets should be tossed & use the air volume in the door - but dampen & sealed. For water, I'll just shield the top of the driver as Randy is doing. The speakers I'm getting from Focal have an 'ideal' of 30 litres or 1.059 cubic feet. Obviously smaller than the door volume but much bigger than the stock buckets.

And I will probably put new window felts while I'm in there.

Ian

edit: wt is in lbs & thickness in mm - I'm Canadian, middle-aged & hopelessly confused in measurements etc.